


Re-evaluate

by bookaddict43



Category: Firefly
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-01-14
Updated: 2009-01-14
Packaged: 2017-10-02 04:36:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookaddict43/pseuds/bookaddict43
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A between the scenes look at Out of Gas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Re-evaluate

**Author's Note:**

> A Jayne,Inara friendship fic which started out as a writing exercise at the Browncoat Backup Bash and now written for the LJ comm ff_friday.  
> Disclaimer: Firefly and all its characters are the property of Joss Whedon.

Inara hated to leave Mal. Detested leaving Serenity, abhorred the implication that she was abandoning the ship - and it’s Captain.

She knew it made sense for her to pilot her shuttle, but leaving felt wrong. Mal was adamant though and no-one, with the exception of Zoë, argued with him in that mood.

She wished there were someone on board she could discuss her feelings with; but Kaylee was at the moment too upset and the Shepherd was comforting her and didn’t appear to want any help. She hadn’t even considered Jayne as someone to voice her concerns to, so was surprised when he seated himself behind her.

“You ok?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Inara countered, unsure as to his motives for the question.

“You ain’t worried ‘bout Mal then?” Jayne shot back, as usual avoiding answering her directly.

Inara shook her head; unwilling to discuss her emotions in regard to Mal, particularly when she was uncertain about them and especially with the indiscreet mercenary.

“I closed off the ship and prepped a suit for him.” Jayne sat down behind her. “Don’t think he’ll use it though, the man’s all kinds of stubborn.”

Inara snorted inelegantly, “Isn’t that what he says of you?”

“Maybe,” Jayne shrugged and gave her the wicked grin that was usually his prelude to a crude comment. “Does it smell kinda strange to you in here?”

The argument between them went back and forth, causing Kaylee to push her misery aside and the Shepherd to attempt to mediate. Until the order from Zoë came to turn around.

***************

Inara could hardly believe it. They’d turned round full of hope and arrived home, only to find Mal shot up _again_. The anxious waiting while Simon worked on their Captain would have been too much, except for Jayne’s incessant arguing.

“We shouldn’tve come back, Mal won’t like it.”

“Zoë ordered it.”

“Don’t make no difference, he’s gonna be blamin’ me…”

Jayne’s monologue rang in her ears preventing Inara from concentrating her worry on Mal so she missed when he awoke; only becoming aware of it with Zoë’s words.

Seeing Mal there so weak and pale took her breath away; but she was saved from speaking much by the delight of the others and their conversation with him.

Her mind tuned in again as Jayne made one of his defensive comments. “We would’ve got here sooner ‘cept ‘Nara’s shuttle smelled strange…”

Inara rolled her eyes, “I’ve told you, that’s incense.”

“Whatever,” he muttered.

The crew followed Simon out of the room. “He’s really gonna be alright?” Kaylee questioned.

The doctor nodded, “I’ve removed the bullet and the wound was clean. The biggest problem was the blood loss and we’ve remedied that.”

“And Zoe?” the Shepherd queried.

“She’ll recover too. They both will though they’ll need to rest for awhile.”

“Good luck with that.” Jayne grunted, as relieved of their most pressing worry the crew began to disperse.

“Jayne,” Inara put out a hand to catch his arm. “Was that deliberate?”

“Huh?” The mercenary gave her his patented slow look and raised his eyebrows questioningly.

Inara raised her eyebrows in turn and asked, “Did you deliberately try to distract me?”

Jayne shrugged and his annoying teasing grin lit up his face. “What’d I do that for?”

“Why indeed?” Inara watched speculatively as he walked away.

To prevent himself from worrying or being frightened perhaps, but even if that were so he’d not only noticed her distress but, in his own fashion, had taken steps to alleviate it.

Not an action one would associate with the selfish mercenary Jayne purported to be. Her interest caught, Inara decided to keep a more watchful eye on Jayne. It seemed she needed to re-evaluate her opinion of the man.


End file.
